Friday, 30 December 2011

Jane's letters

I will not say that your Mulberry trees are dead, but I am afraid they are not alive. Jane Austen, letter to Cassandra, 31st May 1811

Very much enjoyed the two Jane Austen documentaries screened in the UK over Christmas. Despite my reservations about the title,The Many Lovers of Miss Jane Austenproved to be rather good. Amanda Vickery is a charming presenter and thankfully did not wear a bonnet.

Jane Austen: The Unseen Portrait?was a riveting programme. The attempts of the art historians and costume experts to authenticate the portrait were fascinating and there was a good ole academic row at the end with Paula Byrne coming out of it rather well. My own feeling is that the portrait may well be genuine.

You are looking at my reading challenge for 2012. The new edition of Jane Austen's Letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye. You are also looking at my new year's resolution - to stop drinking so much coffee!

I would like to thank my fellow bloggers and readers for proving that the internet can be a place for friendship and creativity. Happy New Year!

Thanks for the prompts on these documentaries. I was meaning to watch these but somehow forgot. I watched the documentary on Charles Dickens' wife last night which was a bit of an eye-opener. I had some vague idea of how poorly he treated his wife, but not a fuller understanding than that. Happy new year to you and I look forwards to another year of your blog!

I wish we could watch/listen to BBC TV/radio over here, but I don't think we can. I really wanted to hear the Vickery mini-series but couldn't, and it just costs too much as a podcast, I feel, to really justify the purchase. I'm glad you enjoyed the Austen-esque ones, though!

Hi Nicola: Thanks again for stopping by my blog (year of actually reading my own books). Those documentaries sound great, will have to keep an eye out for them on this side of the Atlantic. Happy New Year, Kathy aka "Ruby"

Those documentaries sound riveting especially as I've decided to re-read the 5 main Austen novels and am very curious about the woman behind the novels. Hopefully, we can see them in the States sometime.Best Wishes for 2012! Your blog is one of my favorites and I look forward to hearing about your reading this coming year.

'thankfully did not wear a bonnet' - LOL!! I'm annoyed now that I missed both of these documentaries, and must check to see if they are still available on catch-up. The men in my household control the remote, and I don't think I even caught a glimpse of the thing over the holiday period...

A very, very happy New Year to you, too Nicola! Really delighted to have made your acquaintance in 2011.

Happy New Year to you also! And thank you for your excellent book reviews!I wish I had seen the two Austen television shows but I don't believe they were shown in the U.S. This Austen collection of letters sounds very good. I enjoy reading letters.